Saving Mes Aynak takes to Indiegogo to unite global supporters!
The Saving Mes Aynak team is launching a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, the world's largest crowdfunding platform, aimed to raise international pressure on the Chinese state-owned mining company, the Afghanistan government, and UNESCO, in a bid to save Mes Aynak - the 5,000 year-old Buddhist archaeological site - from imminent destruction.
The Saving Mes Aynak team is launching a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, the world's largest crowdfunding platform, aimed to raise international pressure on the Chinese state-owned mining company, the Afghanistan government, and UNESCO, in a bid to save Mes Aynak - the 5,000 year-old Buddhist archaeological site - from imminent destruction.
The campaign, which launches this Monday, has a goal of raising $50,000 on the Indiegogo platform. Director Brent E. Huffman and documentary collective Kartemquin Films plan to distribute the film via VHX on July 1 for "Global #SaveMesAynak Day", with 10% of the raised funds going directly to funding archaeologists in preserving the site.
“The time to act is now. The world was outraged after the Taliban blew up the Buddhas of Bamiyan in 2001, and at the recent destruction by ISIS of the Mosul Museum in Iraq. My fear is that we’ll all gasp in horror when the site at Mes Aynak is permanently destroyed — but won’t do much when there was actually time to save it."
- Brent E. Huffman
Director, Saving Mes Aynak
Donations will go towards the film’s outreach and awareness efforts to put pressure on the Afghan government to overturn their decision, and a portion of every contribution will go directly towards the site and its courageous archeologists, who risk their lives everyday by entering the Taliban-controlled region.
In addition to the unprecedented #SaveMesAynak Day, which will allow audiences around the world to live stream the film together, Indiegogo supporters will be able to pre-order Saving Mes Aynak on DVD, Blu-Ray and for download, arrange community screenings, and contribute towards saving the site through the campaign’s many perks.
You can support the campaign today! Please visit: igg.me/at/SaveMesAynak. #SaveMesAynak.
This is our chance to MAKE HISTORY BY SAVING IT!
Full Frame Success for Saving Mes Aynak
Saving Mes Aynak is celebrating a great weekend at the Full Frame Documentary Festival, where it screened to a standing ovation and was followed by an impassioned Q&A from the sold out crowd.
Saving Mes Aynak is celebrating a great weekend at the Full Frame Documentary Festival, where it screened to a standing ovation and was followed by an impassioned Q&A from the sold out crowd.
Director Brent E. Huffman attended Full Frame with producer Zak Piper and executive producer Julia Reichert.
Brent began the weekend by speaking with Joe Corey of Inside Pulse, who covered the film and declared it, “the most important documentary showing at Full Frame this year.”
In his festival recap for PBS.org, an impassioned Tom Roston wrote: "I couldn’t help thinking of Indiana Jones as the film depicts archaeologists scraping away in the dust and sand. The film is also well paced, and the images are gripping... what’s it going to take for people to care about Mes Aynak? The actual visual of it being obliterated? Before it happens, we can’t muster up the indignation? Stupid."
Saving Mes Aynak at the Festival of Tolerance, Croatia!
Saving Mes Aynak joined the Festival of Tolerance in Croatia on April 14, at cinema Tuskanac in Zagreb. The screening was followed by a discussion on the topic of "Identity, Culture and Heritage: the last obstacle to the capital," a great opportunity to discuss the stakes of heritage with panelists of Tajana Pleše, archeologist from Croatian Conservation Institute, Goranka Horjan, art historian and president of European Museum Forum; Jasen Mesić, archeologist, former minister of culture and member of Croatian parliament; Zrinka Paladino, architect from City of Zagreb Institute for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage; and Paola Orlić, art historian. We are grateful for this chance to share the film with Croatian audience and experts in the area!
Full Frame to screen Saving Mes Aynak on April 11!
Saving Mes Aynak will screen at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival on Saturday, April 11 at 12:50 pm! The festival, held in Durham, North Carolina from April 9 - 12, has announced its full 2015 Program Schedule.
Saving Mes Aynak will screen at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival on Saturday, April 11 at 12:50 pm! The festival, held in Durham, North Carolina from April 9 - 12, has announced its full 2015 Program Schedule.
Director/producer Brent Huffman and producer Zak Piper are very excited to take part at this prestigious festival, which comes just weeks after the Saving Mes Aynak U.S. Premiere on Saturday, March 28 at AmDocs (The American Documentary Film Festival).
Stay tuned for when tickets go on sale April 2!
Saving Mes Aynak Selected for Full Frame!
We are delighted to announce that Saving Mes Aynak will screen at the prestigious Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina this April!
We are delighted to announce that Saving Mes Aynak will screen at the prestigious Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina this April!
Director/producer Brent Huffman and producer Zak Piper will attend the festival, which takes place on April 9 - 12, 2015. This exciting occasion will come just weeks after the film’s U.S. Premiere on Saturday, March 28 at AmDocs (The American Documentary Film Festival).
Full Frame is one of the preeminent documentary film festivals in the United States, and was recently named one the Top Dozen Documentary Film Festivals by Indiewire. Stay tuned for more news and information on screening details, including how to buy your tickets!
European Screenings of Saving Mes Aynak
The filmmakers of Saving Mes Aynak are also excited for the film’s two most recent European festival selections: the 18th International Vera Film Festival in Åland, Finland and the upcoming Millenium International Documentary Film Festival held in Brussels, Belgium.
The filmmakers of Saving Mes Aynak are also excited for the film’s two most recent European festival selections: the 18th International Vera Film Festival in Åland, Finland and the upcoming Millenium International Documentary Film Festival held in Brussels, Belgium. For our friends in Finland, the film will screen today (Friday, March 13) at 9:45pm. Millenium will be held from March 20 - 28, 2015, and screens Saving Mes Aynak on Saturday, March 21 at 8:00 p.m. and again on Saturday, March 28 at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are on sale now!
We take great pride in our international screenings. Our goal is to share Mes Aynak with audiences across the globe, and help build a strong and vocal community who believe this monumental site should be saved and preserved. We hope to be announcing more worldwide screenings and festivals in the coming weeks and months!
Announcing our U.S. Premiere: Saving Mes Aynak to Screen at AmDocs on March 28!
We are proud to announce that Saving Mes Aynak will have its U.S. Premiere at AmDocs (The American Documentary Film Festival) on Saturday, March 28 at 6:30 p.m. in beautiful Palm Springs, CA.
We are proud to announce that Saving Mes Aynak will have its U.S. Premiere at AmDocs (The American Documentary Film Festival) on Saturday, March 28 at 6:30 p.m. in beautiful Palm Springs, CA. We couldn’t be more excited about taking part in this up-and-coming film festival, which was recently voted one of the “Top Five Coolest Documentary Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker magazine.
Tickets are $10.00, and can be purchased in advance here. To learn more about AmDocs, including its full schedule and venue locations, please visit their official website.
We look forward to bringing Saving Mes Aynak to California to share the story of this beautiful and historic site tragically on the brink of destruction. Thank you all for your continued and unwavering support!
Saving Mes Aynak receives Abu Rayhan Biruni Award
The first ever Ahvaz International Science Film Festival has given the prestigious Abu Rayhan Biruni Award to Saving Mes Aynak.
The first ever Ahvaz International Science Film Festival has given the prestigious Abu Rayhan Biruni Award to Saving Mes Aynak.
The filmmakers, including director Brent E. Huffman and producer Zak Piper, are honored to receive this award, which is given to the Best Film in the Archaeology, Architecture, History and Urban Planning section.
This accolade is named after Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī, who is regarded as one of the greatest scholars of the medieval Islamic era, and an early pioneer in the study of comparative religion. He spent a large part of his life in modern day Afghanistan. Again, we are all deeply moved to receive this special award, and our thanks to the Ahvaz International Science Film Festival for honoring Saving Mes Aynak.
Incredible Update: Newly discovered Buddha statues at Mes Aynak!
Three life-size Buddha statues have just been discovered by Afghan archaeologists at Mes Aynak - one of which is complete and untouched by looters!
These great findings offer further proof that there is so much yet to be discovered at Mes Aynak. Incredible artifacts like these are being unearthed every day at the immense ancient city in Afghanistan.
You can help save priceless discoveries like these by buying a limited-edition film poster today. Net proceeds of poster sales go to Afghan archaeologists working at Mes Aynak. Visit our store for more details.
Click to enlarge images below of the discovered statues:
Now Selling: Limited-Edition Film Poster by artist Rima Fujita!
Buy this limited-edition film poster and help archaeologists at Mes Aynak!
"In an attempt to help in a bigger way... the Saving Mes Aynak team in Chicago will be launching a poster sale of legendary Japanese artist Rima Fujita’s breathtaking painting, Save Mes Aynak, created specifically for the documentary."
- Brent E. Huffman, director of Saving Mes Aynak
Net proceeds of all poster sales will go to our partner, Afghans4Tomorrow - a registered non-profit, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. Afghans4Tomorrow will oversee disbursement of funds, less expense, to support future excavation work at this threatened heritage site. Posters will be delivered in early 2015. Buy your poster today!
Fair Observer: Saving Mes Aynak, Revisited
Read the latest news story from the Fair Observer written by director Brent E. Huffman where he talks about making the film, significant updates on Mes Aynak, and the latest way you can help!
FIPA to host French Premiere of Saving Mes Aynak
Saving Mes Aynak has been selected for the prestigious FIPA Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels, screening this January 21, 2015 in Biarritz, France.
Saving Mes Aynak has been selected for the prestigious FIPA Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels, screening this January 21, 2015 in Biarritz, France.
It is a rare honor for an American documentary to screen at the festival, now in its 28th edition. Get details of the screening. Congratulations to director Brent Huffman, producer Zak Piper, and their team.
The film follows Afghan archaeologist Qadir Temori as he races against time to save a 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Afghanistan from imminent demolition by a Chinese state-owned mining company which is eager to harvest $100 billion dollars worth of copper buried directly beneath the archaeological ruins.
The FIPA screening is the film's first of what promises to be a very busy 2015, following a successful world premiere at IDFA in November 2014.
The US premiere of Saving Mes Aynak will be coming soon but is still yet to be announced, but we are delighted to present an exclusive sneak preview on March 6, 2015 7:00 PM at Northwestern University's Block Museum. This free screening will be attended by Brent Huffman, who is a faculty member at Northwestern's Medill School. Get more details.
Autlook Film Sales is representing Saving Mes Aynak for international sales.
This Holiday Season: Support Saving Mes Aynak!
Donate to Saving Mes Aynak this holiday season! The filmmakers still need to raise funds to complete the final edit of the film. Your support, even with a small donation, can have a big impact. So please consider making a tax-deductible donation and help us reach this goal!
Kartemquin Educational Films is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Thank you for your support.
Expert Panel Discussion at IDFA
While large crowds packed sold-out screenings of Saving Mes Aynak at this year's largest documentary film festival in the world - IDFA (International Documentary Festival Amsterdam) - a panel discussion on Mes Aynak around the festival intrigued audience members who wanted more.
While large crowds packed sold-out screenings of Saving Mes Aynak at this year's largest documentary film festival in the world - IDFA (International Documentary Festival Amsterdam) - a panel discussion on Mes Aynak around the festival intrigued audience members who wanted more.
On the panel were those closest to the issue: director Brent E. Huffman; Experts Stephen Carter, Dr. Stefan Baums, Dr. Paul van der Velde, and Paula de Wijs; and Afghan diaspora representatives Matin Wasei and Nadie Tarzi.
The discussion inspired audiences to take action for Mes Aynak by sharing the urgent issues and recent developments at the site, including the startling news of looting now happening. For those who missed it, you can watch the full discussion here.
Panelists highlights:
“These accusations that artifacts are being stolen from Mes Aynak is heart-breaking, and I’m a little shaken by that.”
- Brent E. Huffman, Director of Saving Mes Aynak
“Nowadays, we get the idea of Afghanistan being a very aggressive kind of country. But in the past, it has been completely different... The culture of Afghanistan, especially in Mes Aynak, cannot be under-estimated.”
- Dr. Paul van der Velde, Professor of Asian Religions
Radboud University of Nijmegen
“The problem here... of looting and destruction Mes Aynak seems to be destined to... is that when we lose objects on sites, we lose data. We lose very important information that tells a story – and who’s story but of the people of Afghanistan, and the people of the World.”
- Nadia Tarzi, Executive Director and Founder of the
Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology
“In my memory, and I think in everyone's memory, are still those images of the Bamiyan Buddhas that were blown up... and I felt ashamed of that. I didn't do it, nobody here feels that they are somehow related. But in a sense, we are responsible for it… So then I realized – I had to do something about Mes Aynak”
- Matin Wasei, Afghan Diaspora Representative
Creator of "Save Mes Aynak" Petition
Watch the video of the full discussion.
Official Film Poster released
The official poster for Saving Mes Aynak. Stay tuned for the trailer coming soon!
PBS NewsHour with a sneak peek of Saving Mes Aynak
Ahead of the world premiere at IDFA (International Film Festival Amsterdam) 2014, we gave PBS NewsHour a sneak peek of footage from the finished film and a new interview with Brent Huffman about the Mes Aynak site.
The ARCA Blog
ARCA - Association for Research into Crimes Against Art - promotes Saving Mes Aynak at IDFA. Read it here.
University of Hawaii’s Muslim Societies in Asia and the Pacific
Chinese Copper Mine In Afghanistan Threatens 2,600-Year-Old Buddhist Monastery at Mes Aynak. Read more here.
NEW update about Mes Aynak
Filmmaker and Professor Brent E. Huffman Interviewed about the ancient archaeological site in Afghanistan threatened by a copper mine on the Anarchaeologist podcast.